25 Adorable Coming Home Outfits for Baby

It was a 15-minute drive home from the hospital. But during both pregnancies, I spent days deciding what outfit would be just the right thing to introduce my daughters to the world. For many babies, the coming home outfit is the first “real” clothing they will put on. It is also likely to be shared across social media, celebrating the big moment of leaving the cocoon of the hospital and entering the real world. It makes sense then that many moms-to-be put a little extra thought and planning into the iconic outfit.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to. Bringing a baby home from the hospital is a joyous (albeit slightly terrifying) time for new parents. The outfit they are wearing will not make or break the experience. However, there are some key things to remember when planning your newborn’s coming home outfit. From comfort, weather, and practical advice, we share our top tips for choosing a newborn’s outfit and highlight a few of our favorites below.

Tips for Choosing Baby’s Coming Home Outfit

Whether you live just around the corner from your birth center or hospital or have a long drive ahead, most babies will be traveling home in an infant car seat. Babies should be dressed, keeping both comfort and weather in mind. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Dressing for the Weather & Warmth

Your location or time of year when giving birth may impact outfit choices. Of course, you want to ensure your baby is warm enough in the cold and keep them from overheating in warmer temperatures. However, as a rule of thumb, most new babies should be dressed with warmth in mind. Babies have more difficulty regulating their body temperature and therefore rely on us to dress them appropriately.¹

A long-sleeve footed pajama or layette set is a great choice for most newborns. A hat and socks (if not using footed pants) will help keep them warm without risking overheating. Be sure to bring a few different sizes of hats if you want one to match the outfit you pick. I’ve experienced having too large of a hat and a baby with a giant head that did not fit a newborn hat. Fortunately, I was lucky to have a second option for both. Most hospitals provide hats that would also work perfectly fine for the car ride home.

A Few Practical Tips for Dressing Your Newborn for Travel Home:

While your focus might be on the car ride home, remember to dress your baby in something that will make life easier once you get home. Fancy is cute until you have to undress and redress a fussy or sleepy newborn.
Frequent diaper changes mean you will have to undo snaps or deal with complicated articles of clothing continually. So make it easy on yourself and go with something simple!
Bring two outfits (in two different sizes) in case you end up with a bigger baby. I had a 10-pounder, and she did not fit into many newborn outfits!
A onesie might work fine. But as a new mom, you will absolutely notice and cringe at the car seat straps touching their sensitive little skin, so a light pair of pants or leggings might be a helpful addition.
When looking for material, go for something soft and not scratchy, like cotton or bamboo.
Pro Mom Tip: Go for footed pants instead of pants and socks. They are much easier to use, stay on, and keep track of!

My personal preference is an adorable long-sleeved footed onesie (or footie pajamas as they are often called). This provides just enough coverage on the skin to protect against sun, wind, or chill while being light enough to help them remain comfortable (or as comfortable as you can be as a 1-3 day-old baby strapped into a bucket seat). In addition, they are easy to change diapers in and can transition from car seat to arms to bassinet without issue.